Wisconsin GOP, Dem disputes escalate

A days-long clash between public unions and Wisconsin’s Republican governor escalated Saturday as tea-party activists came out in force to defend Gov. Scott Walker as he tried to strip union bargaining rights.

A coalition of tea-party groups, including Tea Party Patriots, Americans for Prosperity and American Majority, descended on Madison, setting up a clash between labor supporters who for the past several days have been camped out at the state Capitol in protest of Walker.

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American Majority sent 10 busloads of supporters from different locations around the state to participate in a Saturday afternoon counter-protest. Conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart and Herman Cain, a conservative radio talk show host and long-shot 2012 presidential candidate, spoke at an event the organization held Saturday afternoon. Also in attendance was Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, who gained national fame as “Joe the Plumber” during the 2008 presidential election.

American Majority President Ned Ryun said he believed 10,000 conservative activists attended the event, which was organized over the past two days.

“The whole purpose was to support Scott Walker and to send the message that we want the bill passed,” Ryun said in an interview.

Walker, a former Milwaukee County executive who was elected governor as part of a GOP statewide sweep in the November midterm elections, has called for deep cuts in state worker compensation and benefits as he seeks to address a budget shortfall of $3.6 billion over the next fiscal year. Walker is also seeking to eliminate collective bargaining rights for unions.

The clash comes two days after Democratic state senators walked out of the state Capitol and left the state in protest of Walker’s proposed cuts — a move that left Republican leaders unable to reach a quorum to call a vote. State troopers have waged a futile campaign in recent days to retrieve the absent Democratic legislators.

Democratic state Sen. Jon Erpenbach told POLITICO Saturday morning that he and his colleagues huddled earlier in the day to discuss recent developments. But he said they had no plans to return to the state until Walker could reach a reasonable negotiation with state employees.

“We’re just waiting to hear what [Gov. Walker] has to say,” said Erpenbach, who was speaking by cell phone from downtown Chicago, where he spent the night.

Erpenbach said the Democrats were willing to remain outside of the state “as long as it takes.”

“When we come back or how long we stay, it’s totally up to him,” he said.

Democrats will lose this battle! No more public unions, let the taxpayers (not the politicians) decide what they are willing to pay for the service public employees provide (through the form of voting).

It’s about time someone draw the line public sector spending, I hope Gov. Walker holds the line against the left wing media assault. As for the Democratic Senators who have abandoned their seats and ran like cowards from debate and votes in the legislature to which they were elected, it seems they have no respect for the voters who elected them to their seats or to the constitutional institutions to which they are sworn to serve. I wonder if they are returning their pay for the time they have avoided doing their jobs? Not likely.

The Unions have conceded on the financial stuff that affects Wisconsin's budget ($300 Million dollars worth).

This is now about control and Union busting by Walker.

It isn't just the teacher's union he is going after, it is also the classified union which you never hear about because they never raise a fuss, he is going after them because he can. The rank and file from the classified union are where your whistle blowers come from which form the only check I know of on State government.

Here we go again with Obama picking a side and speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Obama is for job killing blood sucking unions, Obama is for building a mosque at ground zero. Obama is a complete Idiot and failure.

The government employees of all states need unions because civil service regulations do not offer enough in the way of benefits. The unions can help get government employees better pay, greater benefits, and an earlier retirement. So what if taxes have to be raised on the working class. This is better than having to sacrifice something. Just let the other pay for it, so what.

"Taking Back Our Country" involves more than removing the self-serving Ruling Class Establishment politicians. It's also about curtailing, controlling, reducing and - to the maximum extent possible - eliminating taxpayer leeches known as public sector union members and bureau******s from further destroying our country and the American way of life with their one goal of enriching themselves at the expense of everyone else.

This is an all-out battle for America. Every available, responsible American should go to Wisconsin to rally against the lunatic-left and their union masters who are trying - and to a great extend succeeding - in bankrupting cities, states and the nation for their own self-serving greed.

NB: AVERAGE TEACHER IN MADISON HAS A TOTAL COMPENSATION THAT EXCEEDS $100,000, including their gold-plated benefits and an obscenely humongous pension !!!!!!

FOLLOW THE MONEY: The lunatic-left d-crat socialists have HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in campaign contributions on the line in the Wisconsin battle - of course they will do everything possible (including criminal actions) to keep the money flowing from taxpayers- to -public-sector union members- to -public-sector unions- to -d-crat socialists' campaigns. This is the corrupt money trail that MUST BE STOPPED if America is to remain a real democracy.

You may not agree with Governor Walker, but he is following through on his pledge. His actions ares more honest than what my Governor Quinn did--promising not to raise taxes, but then doing so.

Our country is in a fiscal mess, both federally and in many states. Who are we kidding? Everybody must cut back in their personal budgets, as have most businesses and many local governments. If we are going to continue as the leader of the world, we have to act like it.

The elected must govern and lead. Let's encourage them to do everything they can to make our futures brighter.